Long Beach State Men’s Basketball Coach Named All-District Coach

Long Beach State (LBSU) men’s basketball coach Dan Monson has been named one of 24 All-District coaches by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Monson was named the District 9 recipient by the NABC for the second straight season.

In his fifth season as the 49ers coach, Monson led LBSU to the NCAA Tournament after winning both the Big West Conference’s regular season and tournament titles. He coached the 49ers to a 25-9 season record, the second most wins in school history despite playing the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation.

With the second consecutive conference regular season title, Monson became the first LBSU coach to win back-to-back regular-season league titles in 35 years, and the first 49er coach to win at least 20 games in consecutive seasons in 38 years. The 49ers finished the Big West season with a 15-1 record, which included a 12-game winning streak that was snapped in a non-conference game at Creighton.

Monson was also named the Big West’s Coach of the Year in a vote of the conference’s coaches, and all five of the 49ers’ starters claimed all-conference recognition. Senior Casper Ware won his second straight Big West Player of the Year award and was named the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Region IX Player of the Year. He also was named to both the USBWA and NABC All-District teams.

Senior Larry Anderson earned first-team All-Big West honors while being named the Big West’s Defensive Player of the Year. He also claimed second-team NABC All-District 9 honors as did senior T.J. Robinson, who was LBSU’s third first-team All-Big West selection. Senior Eugene Phelps earned second-team All-Big West accolades while junior James Ennis was named honorable mention All-Big West. Additionally, Ennis joined Ware on the all-tournament team at the Big West Conference Tournament.